Coin operated device



Oct. 19, 1937. A. G. RISTAU COINOPERATED DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Oct. 19, 1937.

A. G. RISTAU COIN OPERATED DEVICE Filed Jah. e, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTZDR. %d 1% I BY y ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN OPERATED DEVICE Alfred GJRiStau, Kaukauna, Wis. Application January 6, 1936, Serial No. 57,738 7 Claims. (01. 194-4 This invention relates to improvements in coin operated devices, and more particularly to im-': proved coin exhibiting mechanism therefor.

Operators of coin controlled apparatus suffer a substantial loss every year due to the use of slugs by unscrupulous persons. Heretofore, in an attempt to curb this loss, coin slides have been constructed with magnetic slug rejectors, but these arrangements are efiective only when the slug is made of material which is attracted b the magnet. J

The present invention is particularly designed for use in connection with machines which are subject to inspection by the .attendant of an establishment from time to time, and it is therefore an object to provide means for exhibiting a predetermined number of the last depositedcoins to view, so that it may readily be ascertained whether or not a recent user has been employing slugs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described wherein, when a new coin is deposited in the machine, the bottommost coin in the exhibiting structure is simultaneously released, and the remaining coins retained in place so that a predetermined number of the last deposited coins is always in View.

A further object of the invention is to provide in coin operated devices having a coin moving slide, means within the device for intercepting the coin when it is discharged from the slide and for properly directing said coin toward the exhibiting structure to thereby prevent the coin from becoming jammed in the machine.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a device as above described, a pivoted flap for intercepting a coin from the slide, and means controlled by the slide for maintaining said flap in substantially horizontal positionwhile it is intercepting the coin, and for thereafter moving the flap to an inclined position to properly direct the coin intothe exhibiting structure.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved coin operated device, and all its parts and combinations'as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views;

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through ,a fragment of a coin operated device showing the coin slide and associated mechanism and the coin exhibiting structure associated therewith; v

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing. the. slidein its innermost position with the bottom-most coin about to be released;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the housing showing the coin exhibiting window.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 .isa plan View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; I

FigQ-B is a fragmentary view looking at the opposite side of the mechanism from Fig. 1; t

Fig: L-is a fragmentary plan view showing a modified form of construction; Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on line 8 8 of Fig.7; and

Fig. 9' is a fragmentary outside housing of the modification.

.Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates the front portion of the housing, and said front portion may have a coin exhibitingopening H therein with glass or other transparent material l2 behind said opening.

A coin slide I3 is provided with a. handle portion l4 and is slidable in a tubular guideway [5 which extends into the housing. The coin slide proper'i forms. no part of the present invention, but the present improvement cooperates therewith to produce an improved'result. This coin slide may be of standard well-known construction such :as' the'type shown in U. S. Letters Patent view of the No."2, 010,360. With this type of coin slide the slide is provided with an opening [6 within which the. coin is inserted. If a coin is not in place the slide'cannot be moved a suiiicient distance to be effective due to the fact that there is locking mechanism H (see Fig. 5) of well-known construction which is not freed unless a coin is in the opening Hi. This type of coin slide is adapted to'discharge, the coin from the bottom at the innerend of the tubular guideway l 5.

Positioned below the inner end of the guideway l5 within the, housing. isa hopper l8 having an inclined bottom portion l9 leading toward the exhibiting Window and then extending parallel to the window asat 20 to provide a trough of slightly greater width than the coin to be received, between the portion 20 and the glass l2, within which coins may be retained behind the window in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bottom of the, trough being open.

Referring to-Figs. 2 and 6, there is secured to tact with a stop 25'. Ihe lower end of the arm 23 is engageable with a lateral extension 26 on the upper end of a lever 21, and the lever 21 is fulcrumed as at 28 on a bracket 29 carried by the rear portion 20 of the coin trough. The lower end of the lever 21 carries a pin 30 which projects toward the coin trough, and another pin 3i which extends at right angles to the pin 30.

Another lever 32 is pivoted as at 33 to another bracket 34 carried by the lower portion of the rear 23 of the coin trough. The lever 32 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a coil spring 35, and said lever is also formed above its fulcrum with a coin engaging lug 36 which is movable in an opening 3'I-'ln therear'.

of the coin trough.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, a pin'or shaft 38 journaled through the upper portion of the hop The operation of thisform of the inventioniis as follows: Normally four coins'43 are in position in the trough behind the glass l2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and these are necessarily the last four coins which have been deposited in the machine. The coins are prevented from dropping out of the bottom of the'trough. by the lug 36 on the lever 32 whichis projectingthrough the opening 31, and due to. the narrowness of the trough the coins cannot roll around said lug. When a coin is placed inthe coin receiving opening l6 of the slide |3, the slide may be pushed from the position of Fig. '1 to the position of Fig.2. During this movement, the pin 4| is moved away from the upper end of the arm 4|] allowing the spring 42 to pull said arm from theposition of Fig. 1 tothe position of Fig. 2 to bring the coin intercepting flap 39 to the horizontal position shown in Fig.2. When the slide is at the limit of its inward movement, the coin will fall from the bottom of'the guideway l5 for the slide onto the flap 39. Due to thehorizontal position of the flap it will maintain the coin in the same position in which it was on the slide. Also during the inward movement of the slide the lower end of the arm 23 will engage the lateral projection 26 of the lever 21 as shown in Fig. 2'. This will cause the pin 31 on the lower end of the lever'21 to engage the lower end of the lever 32 causing pivotal movement of the latter lever against the tension of the spring '31 to move the lug 36 to the position of Fig. 2 or out ofengagement with the coins. to drop downwardly in the trough. However, due to the fact that simultaneously with the rearward movement of the lug 36, the pin 30 is moved inwardly below the open end of the trough, the coins will not all fall out of the trough, but will be retained by the pin 30 instead of by the lug 36.

When the coin slide is again pulled out from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 1, the 1ever2! will be released and the spring 35 will pull the lever 32 back to the position of Fig. 1, the lug 35 entering the space 44 between two coins as shown in Fig. 3 to hold all but the bottom-most coin in position. The latter coin 43 will then be released due to. the-fact that This will permit the coins when the spring 35 pulls the lever 32 inwardly, the lower end of the lever 32 will engage the pin 3| on the lower end of the lever 27 to move the pin 30 to a position toclear the bottom of the trough and thereby permit the single coin 43' to fall down into a suitable coin receptacle or into the bottom of the housing.

Asthe coin slide I3 is pulled outwardly, the pin 4| on the coin slide will engage the upper end of the arm 40 to cause pivoting of theflap 39 from the horizontal position of Fig. 2 to the inclined position of Fig. 1.

The coin which has been reposing on the flap will thus be directed in fiat condition onto the inclined bottom of the hopper so that it will fall properly into the trough behind the window.

The form' of the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive operates in an almost identical manner to the form of the invention just described. This modification, however, was designedfor use in a compact housing where there is insuflicient room for a vertical sight window, and the modification therefore utilizes a sight window ll"which is inclined sufiiciently from the horizontal to permit the force of gravity to function. -In this form of the invention the levers 21 and 32 are necessarily located a substantial distance laterally from the'slide as shown in Fig. '7. The slide is formed with a horizontal plate 22 instead of the vertical plate 22 of the principal form of the invention, and the arm 23 is mounted horizontally instead of vertically as is the arm 23 in the principal form. Thesaid arm 23"is engageable with an upwardly projecting end 21' of the lever 21. nection with the lever 32 of the modification engages the coins in the manner shown in Fig. 9 to retain them in position, and the coin retaining pin 3301? the: modification operates in an identical manner to the corresponding part of the principal form of the invention. All of the other parts of the modification, however, are constructed and function in a substantially identical manner to the corresponding parts of the principal form of the invention andare designated by the same reference numerals.

From the above it maybe seen that a simple and foolproof arrangement has been provided for always retaining a pluralityof the last deposited coins in position behind the Window and for discharging only the bottom-most of said coins when a new coin is inserted in the device to make way for the appearance of said new coin behind the window. It may further be seen that mechanism is provided which functions-in response to movement of the slide to properly direct the coins into an exhibiting trough without permitting said coins-to'roll on edge and cause jamming.

Although only two forms of the invention have been shown and described, it is'obvious that various. changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit, of the invention; and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What .I claim is: V

1. In a coin operated controlling device having a housing and having a reciprocableslide for depositing coins within said housing, a window in said housing, a'chute positioned to direct deposited coins under the influence of gravity to a position behind said window, a movable retainer normally holding a predetermined number of last deposited coins' in position thereabove in said chute, a second movable retainer spacedbelow said first retainerand normally in disengaged The lug 35' in conposition from said chute, means operable in response to inward movement of said slide for releasing said first retainer and for moving said second retainer into engaging position to thereby permit the coins to shift downwardly onto said second retainer, said retainers being so spaced that the amount of shifting is equal to the diameter of a single coin, and means operable in response to outward return movement of the slide for moving said retainers back to their original position thereby permitting the bottom-most coin to fall by gravity from the chute.

2. In a coin operated controlling device having a housing and having mechanism for depositing coins within said housing, a window in said housing, a chute positioned to direct deposited coins under the influence of gravity to a position behind said window, a movable retainer normally holding a predetermined number of last deposited coins in position thereabove in said chute, a second movable retainer mounted independently of and spaced below said first retainer and normally in disengaged position from said chute, means operable in response to movement of said coin depositing mechanism for releasing said first retainer and for moving said second retainer into engaging position to thereby permit the coins to shift downwardly onto said second retainer, said retainers being so spaced that the amount of shifting is equal to the diameter of a single coin, and means operable in response to return movement of said coin depositing mechanism for moving said retainers back to their original position thereby permitting the bottom-most coin to fall by gravity from the chute.

3. In a coin operated controlling device having a housing and having mechanism for depositing coins within said housing, a window in said housing, a chute positioned todirect deposited coins under the influence of gravity to a position behind said window, a pivotally mounted lever having a retainer in connection with a portion thereof normally holding a predetermined number of last deposited coins in position thereabove in said chute, a second pivotally mounted lever having a retainer in connection therewith spaced below the retainer of said first lever and in normally disengaged position from said chute, said second lever having a projection engageable with a portion. of said first lever, means between the coin depositing mechanism and one of said levers for causing movement of both levers when said coin depositing mechanism is moved to thereby reverse the position of the retainers on said levers and permit the coins to shift downwardly onto the retainer of said second lever, and means operable on return movement of the coin depositing mechanism for returning the levers to original.

position thereby permitting the bottom-most coin to fall from the chute by gravity.-

4. In a coin operated controlling device having a housing and having mechanism for, carrying a horizontally disposed coin into said housing to a position where it is freed to drop by gravity, a chute having an inclined bottom for guiding said coin to a desired position in said housingmeans movable from a substantially horizontalposition to a position substantially parallel to the inclined bottom of the chute for transferring the coin from said coin carrying mechanism to said chute while maintaining the coin in such position that it will not cause jamming in the chute, and means on the coin carrying mechanism engageable with said coin transferring means for causing said movement of the latter.

5. In a coin operated controlling device. having a housing and having mechanism for carrying a horizontally disposed coin into said housing to a position where it is freed to drop by gravity, a chute having an inclined bottom for guiding said coin to a desired position in said housing, a flap pivotally movable from a substantially horizontal position to a position substantially parallel to the inclined bottom of the chute for transferring the coin from said coin carrying mechanism to said chute while maintaining the coin in. such position that it will not cause jamming in the chute, and

means on the coin carrying mechanism engageable with said flap for causing said pivotal movement of the latter.

6. In a coin operated controlling device having a housing and having mechanism for carrying a horizontally disposed coin into said housing to a position where it is freed to drop by gravity, a restricted trough in said housing, a chute having an inclined bottom for guiding said coin into said trough, a pivoted flap for transferring the coin from said coin carrying mechanism to said chute, and means between said flap and said coin carrying mechanism for causing the flap to assume a horizontal position when the coin carrying mechanism is in a position to drop a coin thereon, and for causing the flap to assume an inclined position substantially parallel to the bottom of the chute when the coin carrying mechanism is returned to normal position to thereby properly direct the coin into said chute so that the coin will properly enter the restricted trough.

7. In a coin opera-ted controlling device having a housing and having mechanism, for carrying a horizontally disposed coin into said housing to a position where it is freed to drop by gravity, a chute having an inclined receiving surface for guiding said coin to a desired position in said housing, a pivoted flap for transferring the coin from said coin carrying mechanism to said chute, and means between said flap and said coin carrying mechanism for causing the flap to assume a horizontal position when the coin carrying mechanism is in a position to drop a coin thereon, and for causing the flap to assume an inclined position substantially parallel to the receiving surface of the chute when the coin carrying mechanism is returned to normal position to thereby properly direct the coin into said chute.

ALFRED G. RISTAU. 

